Question from charlene Gormley
I don’t ever buy soda but when we go to family or other events my daughter often gets her hands on some soda. I haven recently seen organic and all-natural sodas at health food stores. I’m wondering what Debra and the readers think of these products. My thought is that although they aren’t a product I’d want my daughter to drink everyday, they seem like a really great alternative to the conventional sodas.
Debra’s Answer
In addition to sweeteners (often high fructose corn syrup), conventional sodas contain artificial flavorings, preservatives, caffeine, and phosphoric acid (linked to bone loss).
Organic sodas contain none of these, but are basically just sugar water. There’s no nutritional value.
Rather than buy organic or natural soda, it would be better to mix some fresh fruit juice with sparkling water.
If your daughter drinks these sodas at a picnic, it’s better than drinking a regular soda. My only concern is the amount of sugar, but at least it’s usually evaporated cane juice, which is a whole food. But it’s a lot of sugar.
